Canines Put Their Best Paw Forward in Annual BPC Costume Contest

Halloween in Lower Manhattan is not just for two-legged creatures, thanks to the Battery Park City Dog Association. Some 60 canines, dolled up as pirates and pinatas, witches and Wonderwomen, strutted down the Battery Park City esplanade, from South Cove to the North Cove plaza on Saturday for the 16th annual Halloween Puppy Parade.

Photos by Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

The volleyball court became a runway for the furry competitors in categories such as Best Owner and Dog Combo, Best Dog Team and Best Tail Wagging, with Richard Brotman, Sheila Rossi and Liam Galloway serving as judges and prizes provided by local merchants. Le Pet Spa has sponsored the event from the beginning.

Paula and Jeff Galloway, who run the 300-member dog association, said the event began in 2002 with a few pets in a dog run next to Gateway Plaza and, said Paula, “it just kept getting bigger and bigger.”

“The parade started as a community-building event after 9/11 and that’s our fundamental objective of it,” Jeff said. “For everybody to have fun with their dogs.”